Dermatologists recommend limiting sugar to 10 percent of your calories. For a woman of average height and weight in her mid- 40s, that’s roughly or 10 teaspoons or 160 calories. Ten teaspoons of sugar equal about what’s in a can of cola or six Hershey’s Kisses.

The naturally occurring glycation process starts a chain reaction that allows sugar to attach to proteins, creating harmful molecules that break down collagen in the skin, experts say.

Damaged collagen leads to wrinkles and sagging. Skin also can become dull.

Glycation also changes the type of collagen you have, another factor in how well your skins resists wrinkling.